ELLSWORTH, Maine — Sheriff William Clark threw another log on the fire Monday in the dispute between officials in Hancock County by issuing a press release that criticizes how the county has managed its payroll system.
Clark disputed public claims by Steve Joy, chairman of the county commissioners, that a time clock system adopted by the county in 2009 helped expose a case of employee theft at the county jail later that year. Janine Gardner, who worked as a corrections officer at the jail, eventually pleaded guilty to stealing $11,500 from the county by falsifying her time sheets.
The theft was not exposed by the new time clock system, Clark wrote in the release.
“It was discovered by an observant jail staff member who compiled the information from the facility’s [old] manual payroll system,” Clark indicated.
Clark also criticized the time clocks and the county’s new payroll system in the release by saying that they actually have cost county taxpayers more money. The county used to manage its own payroll system in-house but now has its payroll managed by a local bank. The new, outsourced payroll system, he suggested, has not resulted in promised savings for the county.
County commissioners have said the purpose of implementing the time clock and associated payroll system was to streamline the amount of paperwork department heads had to do each pay period.
Clark and other county officials, some of them elected, have been highly critical of Phil Roy, the county’s chief financial officer. Roy has been accused of mishandling money he managed, outside his job in Hancock County, for the Central/Western Maine Workforce Investment Board and for the Maine Republican Party.
The time clock system in Hancock County was installed in 2009, a few months after Roy was hired as the county’s CFO.
Clark wrote in the release that either Joy is misleading the public about the benefits of the time clock system or is being misled by Roy.
Joy, contacted by phone on Monday, expressed exasperation with the sheriff’s continuing public allegations of financial mismanagement by the commissioners and declined to comment on Clark’s statement.
Follow BDN reporter Bill Trotter on Twitter at @billtrotter.
Time clocks don’t lie. People do. & put a security camera above the time clock to make sure the people are actually punching in their own timecards. Out.
They were a bit behind the times for a government by not having time clocks to begin with. Sheriff Bill Clark should realize time clocks are safe gaurds, making sure everybody gets their due, the honest remain honest, and those not honest get caught.
The point here is not the use of time clocks. The issue is the ongoing misrepresentation of facts by the County Commissioners. The Commissioners are tying to justify their inaction on the Phil Roy issue by citing an example of his success within the county. Sheriff Clark is correctly pointing out this deception.
I’d like to also point out that Janine Gardner came forward and admitted to this “theft” and other employees were doing the same thing…she is the only one who got punished. There is wide spread corruption within the city of Ellsworth and the county. There is no recourse for Maine municipal employees who commit fraud or lie to the courts…I know I checked. The good ole boys network is there and the good ole girls network is also there…to hide corruption within the ranks. So very sad….
HCSO has a bank doing it’s payroll ? Whoever had this idea put into effect needs a serious sit-down with the State Auditor and the Financial Services Committee. Payroll is a finance issue that is directly tied to the Govt’s ability to maintain control over it’s expenses. Bank’s, by definition, look out for themselves, not their depositer’s, when it comes to tracking and controlling fund’s. By the Commissioner’s turning over their financial management of the County to a bank these same Commissioner’s have exposed the whole of Hancock County to the risk’s of the Bank’s exposure to the financial service’s industry. And with the Financial Service’s sector in the middle of getting their ‘short’s dropped’, ala the JPMorgan mess, does anyone else see just where this is going ? One would hope that these same Commissioner’s had a little talk with the head of the Regional FDIC as to just how up-to date the Bank’s insurance is.
It might also be a good idea to see just how ‘involved’ the official that made this decsion is with the Bank chosen. Hancock County has a history of Conflict of Interest. Conflict of Interest is one very short step from ‘accomidating’ a whole lot of other thing’s, some not so legal. And with a payroll fraud already open for all to see, just how much more is there to be found ?
I think you are confusing finance management and time management. As a payroll services all they do really is compile time, and send out checks. There is a lost of paperwork and computer work that goes in to payroll, which they take care of. When it comes to payroll they would sent out check from what ever bank account they choose. They do not have to have an account with the bank. Its is just there time that is being managed from what i understand. Payroll can be very time consuming effort.
To anyone that actually knows how to property do payroll in software such as Quickbooks, it is super simple and does not take all that much time. Whomever is currently doing the AR/AP should have knowledge enough to also do payroll and save having to pay the bank fees to have it outsourced.
Mero, whenever commercial financial institution’s and local Gov’t fund’s become interwined there is a HUGE possibility of the financial institution rationalizing that the fund’s are their’s for the using and not bothering to look out for the local Govt”s interest. Just look at the damage that Madoff’s firm did to the numerous State and local employee pension fund’s. You think they risked their own fund’s with Madoff ? Same thing with Stanfford and he’s now doing time in Talladega.Same with the Big Bank’s (BOA, JP, Citi ete). No, payroll is drawn off of time management (Demming and Mngm’t 101) and what’s happening in Hancock County is just beginning to be seen as what, and why, this type of financial / payroll arrangement is the biggest NoNo of all !
Mike if you really believe that our county tax dollars are safer in hands of the don’t tell and they won’t ask gov’t in Hancock County you haven’t lived here long. Hancock County is the one place where the Good Ole Boy system is still alive and flurishing. I would bet money this is smoke and mirrors to avoid people finding a bigger issue.
WOW! Big surprise Steve Joy has no comment other then to express exasperation…hiding something? Our tax money is going who knows where, we might as well pay for a independent audit of the county and get to the bottom of this before Novemeber so we can elect some honest comissioners and terminate Phil Roy!
I don’t suppose our fine upstanding corrections officer did any jail time for the $11,500 theft?
Wrong as usual- from BDN 7/11/11
ELLSWORTH, Maine — A former corrections officer has begun serving her sentence after being convicted of stealing more than $10,000 from Hancock County.
Janine Gardner, 54, of Ellsworth was sentenced in late June to serve 60 days in jail. She received an overall sentence of 30 months behind bars with all but 60 days suspended and two years of probation upon her release. She also was ordered to pay $11,551 in restitution and to serve 200 hours of community service.
Wrong about what “as usual” – LOL
I asked a question. Explain how a question can be wrong?
So she did a whole whopping 60 days in jail.
Your attempt to troll –
Fail – as usual.
Wrong as usual-from BDN 7/11/11
ELLSWORTH, Maine — A former corrections officer has begun serving her sentence after being convicted of stealing more than $10,000 from Hancock County.
Janine Gardner, 54, of Ellsworth was sentenced in late June to serve 60 days in jail. She received an overall sentence of 30 months behind bars with all but 60 days suspended and two years of probation upon her release. She also was ordered to pay $11,551 in restitution and to serve 200 hours of community service.
Does anyone find a double standard here? A corrections officer took money and gets jail time, Phil Roy takes (steals) money and gets to pay it back and keep his freedom and, Hancock County Commissioners hire this man and, with their blessing, let him restructure the whole financial system. Can anyone explain this?
Is this the same dipwad who took money for a camper without permission got caught and then payed it back and got in zero trouble ……I may be being too sensitive but……taking $$ without permission…..isn’t that the same thing as….ummmmm….. STEALING?
Yes it’s the same as stealing…..and the amount is more than what Janine “stole” So yes why not jail time???? He is still in a position to handle money too…very interesting!